The Nightmare Before Christmas
by iNvIsIbLe GiRl 12
Summary: THE TITLE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MOVIE! It's Christmas time. Natalie's least favorite time of the year. What happens when an unexpected visitor comes her way? Chapter 5 is up! IT'S DONE! REVIEW PLEASE! AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
1. Twas the Night Before Christmas

**A/N: OOOOOOOKEY DOKEY! Whoa…that was weird…ok! New story! AHHH! Ok, so I got bored and went on a three day writer's block/hiatus thing…And I was saved by my lovely muses DD and Discount Drugmart (Sorry...i'm using nicknames because people don't want real names to be used.). This came to me and they also helped me with other stories that seem to be my most popular…So, please enjoy my little Christmas tale! Very Natalie/Gabe centered (NOT SHIPPING! They just interact a lot!).**

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: *to the tune of 'We Wish you a Merry X-mas* I now own Next to Normal, I now own Next to Normal, I now own Next to Normal, and so do you.**

**DD: *singing*Hey, this song doesn't make sense. You don't own Next to Normal so shut your fat mouth.**

**Me: *singing*We don't own Next to Normal, we don't own Next to Normal, we don't own Next to Normal, well, there's always next year!**

**Happy Holidays to everyone!**

The harsh, cold December wind blew against the old windows of the old Victorian house. Natalie sat alone, bored out of her mind, after putting the two little girls she was babysitting to sleep. And worst of all it was Christmas Eve, so they were wound up more than usual. A knock was heard at the door. She sighed as she went to answer it. The parents of the little girls stood in the doorway.

"Sorry we came home so late…" the father explained. "Traffic is insane on the interstate."

They walked in, completely ignorant to the terrible shape their babysitter was in, scratches and bite marks all over her, her hair pulled out of it's usual ponytail. Natalie grabbed her stuff and was about ready to leave. The mother, who was quite tipsy after being out all night partying, handed her a fifty dollar bill, which was way more than she usual made babysitting. "Go buy yourself something nice." she said, ushering Natalie out of their house.

Natalie stared down at the money. _Go buy yourself something nice…_she thought. _I wish…_

What the mother didn't know was that this money would be the only present she was receiving this year…or any year. Did her parents have any time to worry about her? No. And why would they always use the excuse that money was tight? Maybe that was because it was all used on her mother's useless medication and countless treatments that _never_ worked…

After arriving back at her house, she was walking up the porch to unlock the door when she stumbled over what seemed to be a tiny box. She gently bent down and picked it up. The little tag on the box read,

_Natalie,_

_Merry Christmas!_

_Don't open it 'til tomorrow._

_Love Henry_

She smiled and put the little box into the pocket of her thick winter coat. The door had swung open, only to reveal a massive party being thrown. _Oh shit…_ she thought, almost considering turning around and running. She completely forgot that this was the year the family Christmas party was being held at their house. She darted in, hoping that no one would notice her.

People were everywhere. She had never seen the house so alive…well, in a good sense at least…random aunts and uncles were waving or pulling her into an embrace. She squirmed her way out and ran up to her room. Jumping all over her bed were a few of her younger cousins.

"Oh…hi, Natalie!" her little cousin squealed, running over to hug her.

"Ok, Lexi, that's enough…" Natalie replied angrily, pushing her cousin off of her.

"What's wrong?" Lexi asked, curious.

"I don't wanna talk about it…"

The little girl pouted and plopped herself down on the bed next to Natalie. She stared at her cousin's flushed face, the bruises covering her neck, her hair wilder than ever. "What's Santa gonna bring you?"

Natalie rolled her eyes at the comment. "Nothing."

"Why? Have you been bad?"

She tried not to let Lexi see the guilt and shame in her face. "Something like that…"

The rest of the little cousins had dragged her over to the little keyboard she kept in her room and told her to play them a Christmas song. She gave into their demands and began a rousing version of "Kidnap the Sandy Claws" from _The Nightmare Before Christmas._

They all exchanged looks of confusion. She went on, not aware that her cousins were wandering around her room now. She could hear a few murmurs then Lexi was tugging on the hem of her sweatshirt.

"Nat? What's this?" She held a bottle of pills in her hands. She was slightly confused as Natalie whipped them out of her hands and shouted, "Don't touch those! Get out of my room!"

Natalie pushed her cousins out of the room. Lexi tried to get more answers.

"But, Nat-!"

"I said GET OUT, YOU FUCKING LITTLE DEMONS!"

Little did she know that all commotion had stopped below. All eyes were on her. She could see a few aunts and uncles giving her a look of disappointment, shaking their heads at the disgrace. Little Lexi was in tears below. She ran back into her room and slammed the door shut.

_No…_she thought, falling face first onto her bed. _No! I'm becoming my fucking mother! I'm _not_ crazy…I'm not! This is exactly why I hate Christmas, I hate my family, I hate my life…God, I hate _everything_!_ She heard a small knock at her door.

"Nat? You ok?" It was her father's voice. "What happened?"

"I…I don't want to talk about it…can you just leave me alone?"

She could hear his footsteps trailing away. The little pill bottle in her hand looked enthralling now. She sighed, opening the bottle, and threw a few in her mouth, swallowing quickly.

She felt her head throbbing. _Probably because of those fucking little assholes…_Again, she stared at the little bottle. _No,_ she told herself. _It's not gonna help…it won't do…who am I kidding? _Not even fooling herself, she swallowed pill after pill.

Her headache only got worse as clumsily fell upon her bed. Her vision was a little fuzzy…the room began to spin. She groaned as her head fell back on top of her single, off-white pillow. The rambling from downstairs became fainter…fainter…Her eyes slowly shut as she passed out.

* * *

Natalie awakened slowly, carefully. It was pitch black, except for the few beams of moonlight that poured into her window. Her headache was gone, she noticed immediately. Only, she didn't feel like herself. She seemed as light as a feather, like she could jump out the window and land softly land on the ground. Her hands felt slightly numb, she recalled, adjusting the now fluffy pillow behind her head.

_I must be so stoned…_she thought, closing her eyes once more. The wind rustled a little, the breeze dancing in through her window, which opened itself with a great force. Her eyes shot back open, looking around the room. Nothing.

She settled back down. The breeze came again, carrying a whisper. _"Natalie…"_

She jumped and sat back up in the bed. Still nothing could be seen in the darkness.

The whisper called again… "_Natalie…"_

Her heart pounded in her chest as a shadowing figure emerged in the dark. She was completely stiff as its dark eyes were set on her. It began to pick up a pace and was heading toward her…In self-defense, she took the pillow that sat behind her and threw it at the figure, completely horrified. The figure fell to the ground.

"Ow! God, why'd you do that?"

Her eyes grew wider as it got back up again. The figure stood in the light finally…It wasn't a demonic monster…it was a boy.

He gave her an angry glare as he stood up, brushing himself off. His sandy hair was pushed in every direction, his muscular body could be seen through the outline of his clothing. But what caught her attention were his eyes…his crystal blue eyes…

He began to walk towards her again. She stood up and grabbed a small bottle of pepper spray that her father gave her when she started going out with Henry. "Don't come any closer!" She warned, wielding her pathetic and useless weapon.

He chuckled and smirked at her. "What's the matter? Haven't you seen your own brother before?"

She dropped the pepper spray in disbelief. "What are you-? No! _No_! This is _not_ happening…you're not…you're-!" She found herself staring into his eyes. His entrancing blue eyes gave her a feeling of warmth and comfort. "Gabe?"

"Hi, Natalie."

**A/N: OOOOH! What shall happen next? lol...I've gotta finish the rest of this, so be patient! Anyone wanna give me an early Christmas present and review?**


	2. Journey to the Past

**A/N: Hi everyone! Ok, CHAPTER TWO IS HERE! My story's sort of taking a turn for A Christmas Carol. It's inspired by it. Cuz yesterday I was watching A Christmas Carol: the Musical movie and Jesse L. Martin was the Ghost of Christmas Present. I was all like 'AHHHHHH! JESSSSSSEEEEEE!" **

**Oh! Which reminds me….Happy belated birthday Wilson Jermaine Heredia! **

**Haha...oh right. This is Next to Normal…not RENT.**

**Anywho…so my story is similar to that, only completely different. You get it?**

**Good.**

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: *to the tune of Jingle Bells* Dashing through the show, on a fan fic escapade, wishing I owned Nat and Gabe, but that role's already played. ****OH! Jingle Bells, Benny smells, Mayzie laid an egg, I do not own N2N and God, this rhyming sucks. **

"No….no, no, no! This is seriously not happening…" Natalie was telling herself, pacing back and forth.

Gabe, however, looked on with amusement. "What's wrong? It looks like you've seen a ghost." He paused for a moment and laughed at his own ironic joke.

All she could do was glare…She didn't know what was going on. _He…Gabe is dead. Dead, dead, dead! _She thought, avoiding eye contact with her so-called 'brother.' _He's not here…I'm just hallucinating….It'll all be gone in the morning…_ She looked over at him, hoping that he would be gone. He just smirked.

She angrily fell back onto her bed, completely giving up. "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Nope."

"Why?"

"'Cause."

She sat up and gave him another glare. "Is that all you got?"

"Yeah, pretty much."

"Wow…" she said, shaking her head at him. "That sort of proves why I'm the smart one in this family."

He decided to go and sit next to her. She scooted away as fast as she could, still a little creeped out by his presence.

"So why _are_ you here?" she asked after a moment of silence.

Gabe smirked once again and responded slyly. "Well, if you really must know. I'm gonna help you turn your life around."

She stared at him with a look of confusion. "Uh-huh. Yeah, I kind of don't want my life being fucked around with anymore by you, thanks."

He put on a pitiful face and stared into her eyes. "Well, I never meant anything by it. All I wanna do is help."

"Yeah, well, how do you plan to do that?"

The infamous Gabriel Goodman sly grin appeared across his face.

"I'll show you."

He grabbed onto her arm and pulled her up for her bed. Natalie, who was still in shock from meeting her dead brother, was even more nervous than before as he dragged her to the middle of her room.

"Gabe? What the hell are you doing?"

"You'll see…" he said cunningly, and the two disappeared into the night.

* * *

They landed roughly on a cold hospital floor. Natalie wondered where he had taken her. She looked over at a calendar that was hanging on a bulletin board in the waiting room of the hospital. It was February 29, 1997. Her birthday…her fourth birthday…She looked around the room to find a younger version of herself sitting alone, a small stuffed bear in her hands.

"Oh, God…I remember this…" the older Natalie sighed.

"Yeah…" Gabe sighed, taking a seat in the hospital chair. "You should. It's when I started coming around."

"Yes!" Natalie exclaimed, remembering the situation. "Mom had to go in…on my birthday! I was there alone…why are you showing me this?"

Gabe shrugged and told her to watch the scene unfurl.

The younger version of Natalie sat playing with her bear that her aunt gave to her for her fourth birthday. Even the little girl knew she was unlucky then. She was born on a leap year. Her real birthday came once every four years and she hated it…The only birthday present she had received was her little bear. She held it like a baby and was quietly talking to it.

"It's my birthday today, you know."

The bear said nothing.

"I don't even think they remembered. Maybe I should remind them."

Again, the stuffed bear was silent.

The little girl climbed off her seat and snuck around to the room she had seen her father slip into. She looked in, making sure to leave room for her bear to peek too. Her father looked angry, he was never angry. She tilted her head in a little more. Trying to get a better glimpse. Now she could see her mother, continuously screaming at her father.

They were fighting. She'd never seen them fight before. She could hear her mother shout a few things about a boy named Gabe. She wondered who he was and why he was causing her mother so much pain. He tilted her head further into the doorway. All she heard next was this:

"_But what about Natalie, Di?"_

"_I don't **care **__about Natalie!"_

The little girl shot out of the door. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't look back at her parents. She ran off to the waiting room, as far away from them as possible. She had tears running down her cheeks. She held tightly onto her bear, crying into its caramel-colored fur.

"At least I have you…"

She was suddenly startled by the sound of the hospital room door slamming shut as her father walked out. The bear flew from Natalie's hands in fright, onto the ground. She went to go pick it up when a nurse pushing an old woman in a wheelchair ran over it. The stitches in its stuffed neck were caught on the wheels. It slowly unraveled until the little head of the bear rolled off.

Natalie stared in sheer horror at what had happened…Her only friend…The only one who understood her…gone. She began to cry even harder, climbing onto the hospital chair, rolling up into a ball and consoling herself.

Standing in a corner watching, the older Natalie looked on with small tears in her own eyes. She remembered the stuffed bear…the only friend she ever had. She couldn't help thinking of Henry as she looked at the decapitated head of her stuffed friend. He was her teddy bear now. A shoulder to cry on, a friend, a lover. All three in one.

"Are you actually _crying?"_ Gabe asked her, trying to get her to come back to reality.

"What? It's miserable!" She cried defensively.

"Yeah, for you. The kid who talks to inanimate objects."

"Hey, you'd do it too if you were me."

"No I wouldn't. That's just weird."

She angrily glared at him. He wouldn't understand…he'd _never_ understand the pain she went through that day. Because of him.

"Why are we here?"

He grinned getting up from his hospital chair.

"It's your past. You have to understand your past to understand the future."

"What is this? _A Christmas Carol?"_

He laughed at his sister's stupidity. "No…If you want to perfect your life you have to recognize your past failures."

"Who made you Confucius?"

His blue eyes rolled at her. "Just shut up. C'mon. We have more to see…"

**A/N: oooooohhhh…what will happen next? Finally Dan gets to show his face in my fan fics…uh-oh….Reviews, anyone? Please? Pretty please with N2N on top?**


	3. The Present is an Empty Space

**A/N: Chapter 3! Sorry that this one's so short...Ok, before I start, I'd like to thank greengirl16 for reviewing my story so far…I love getting positive reviews. They make me wanna write more! ****I wanna also thanks DD for being an awesome editor!**

**Reviews?**

**Disclaimer:**

**Me: * to the tune of Joy to the World* Joy to the world that N2N will now be owned by me! I really can see it, me onstage so be it. And I'll marry Aaron Tveit, I'll marry Aaron Tveit, I'll marry, I'll marry Aaron Tveit.**

**N2N Cast: Joy to the World we're not owned by them. They only wish we were. They're only an obsessed fan, and they love our whole clan. They don't own N2N, they don't own N2N. They don't, they don't own N2N!**

Gabe dragged Natalie back to her room. They landed with a thud, causing the whole room to shake. She brushed herself off, getting up from the cold hardwood floor. She looked at the clock. 11:35 P.M. She then looked at her watch. It was the same.

"Gabe? Where are we now?"

His head tilted towards the door and held it open as she walked out. Quietly creeping down the stairs, they saw the few people who still remained behind from the party.

"What the hell is this? Why do I care?" She asked him, watching the miscellaneous family members mingle with each other. Gabe hushed her and pointed. There was her father. He was being corned by the rest of the family.

"Do you think Natalie's alright up there?" her aunt asked him, trying to be sympathetic. She knew that he didn't want to talk about what happened. His life was crazy enough…he didn't need this.

"Yeah. She's fine…" What he wanted to say was _No. She's not alright. _But did he really want to get in a fight over something so stupid?

"What ever happened to her? She always used to be so sweet and innocent…"

Her uncle, a tough-looking man interrupted with, "Yeah, until she started going out with that fucking stoner."

Natalie was about ready to strangle him, but Gabe held her back. "They can't see you anyway. It's pointless."

Her uncle continued on. "It's true! She's been completely different since they got together. Do you even know where she goes, Dan?"

Dan just shrugged. Why was he acting so awkward? When it was him and her mother fighting, he would always lash out at her. But what was holding him back now?

"Look," the uncle said, sitting down on the couch next to Dan. "You're my little brother. I have to look out for you. And that means looking out for your family."

"What kind of say do you have in how look out for my family?" Dan angrily protested back.

"I'm a cop. And I've seen this all before. She seriously has some problems that need to be recognized."

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Which one?"

"Both, if you ask me." the aunt intervened.

The uncle coldly told her to shut up and continued. "Natalie. She isolates herself from everyone, random outbursts, denying everything. Let's face it, she has a drug problem."

Natalie tugged out of Gabe's grasp, running towards her uncle screaming about every obscenity she knew at him. How did he know? She hardly knew him! How the hell could he tell?

"My daughter does _not_ have a drug problem…" Dan replied, on his last straw.

"God, Dan, when are you gonna stop ignoring it?" the uncle screamed. "Is that your way of coping? When something bad happens, just forget about it? Well, no wonder your household's an asylum."

Dan angrily got up, pulling his brother up with him by the collar of his shirt.

"Take that back."

Slightly intimidated, the uncle walked out with his wife and their children, in an angry fit. Everyone left after him, leaving Dan alone in the living room below.

Natalie didn't understand. What did this have to do with her? Why was she here? Gently, she walked over to him and sat next to him on the couch.

"Dad?"

Nothing. He couldn't hear her. Or see her.

"Dad, I'm sorry that I'm an embarrassment."

She lightly grasped his hands, crying again. Remembering that she had to go with her brother, she left him alone, in tears.

"You ok?" Gabe asked her as she returned.

"No…I don't know…" she replied. "Why are we here?"

"You needed to see that. What _you _do causes _them _pain."

"But why do they all hate me so much?"

He wrapped his arms around his sister. "They don't hate you."

She pulled away from him, just wanting to leave.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here." She said, grabbing onto his arm as they were whisked away once again.

**A/N: Uh-oh…A little drama going on…Tell me what you think! What'll happen next? Anyone wanna review please?**


	4. The Future is a Barren World

**A/N: Chapter 4! Ok, the title of this chapter was corny, but I like Aida song lyrics. Plus, it makes sense! **

**Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed and favorited and all that good stuff…**

**You guys are the best!**

**So…enjoy the betrayal, sibling drama, and loneliness that awaits you in Chapter 4!**

**Disclaimer: *to the tune of "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing"* Hark the fan fic writers sing, We don't own this awesome thing. How we wished we only could, cuz we're really all that good. Shout it to the owners now "Yorkey and Kitt, don't have a cow!" We fan fic writers now shout out 'We are just fans without a doubt!' We fan fic writers now shout out 'We are just fans without a doubt!'**

Natalie knew what was coming next. She had to face her future, the consequences of her life. Gabe could feel the tension in her grasp.

"You sure you're ok? You seem…tense."

She just shook her head. "Really?"

They landed in front of a newly built house, about two stories. Snow danced around, falling gently on the ground. It was winter. A huge bay window was in the front and a balcony was in the back that overlooked a little lake. She had never seen it before. Crossing her fingers mentally, hoping this had something to do with her, she followed her brother's lead into the house.

Inside, she was immediately greeted by the warmth of a burning fire in the brick hearth that she stood next to. A decently sized Christmas tree stood tall, covered in countless lights and ornaments. A man stood next to it, admiring its beauty, placing a few gifts underneath.

"Who's that?" She asked her brother.

"Take a lucky guess…" He replied, turning her in the direction the man was walking.

The man quietly snuck over to the old, worn out piano a few feet away from the tree. He cracked his knuckles, a trait that Natalie found disgusting in any person. He let his hands fly freely across the keys. It was nothing she had ever heard before…just some made-up, jazzy-sounding…

"Henry?"

Gabe nodded as her face lit up. She was ecstatic now, knowing that he was in her future. Thousands of questions entered her head. She was half-tempted to run up to him, until she convinced herself that he'd never know she was there. All of the sudden she just heard a shout.

"Henry? God, why are you playing that ruckus now?"

The voice was unrecognizable. It was a woman's voice. She stood puzzled as the older Henry leapt away from the piano as the woman entered the room. She was tall, about three inches taller than Natalie. She had silky black hair which she kept in a neat bun. And she was wearing a diamond ring on her right hand.

"Oh, God…" Natalie whispered to herself.

"How many times have I told you not to play that shit in the house?" the woman scolded.

"I'm a music teacher, Robyn. It's kind of a living…" he retorted, a total Henry comeback.

"Well, I am sick and tired of it!" She angrily sat down upon the cream-colored couch. He took the opportunity to reassure her that he was done and he kissed her.

Natalie couldn't even bear to look. Here was the boy that she loved, that she gave everything to. Here he was, throwing it all away, every priceless moment they shared together, shattered and broken. Like her heart.

A little girl came rushing into the scene. She hugged Henry and the woman. She was their daughter. They overjoyed expression on Henry's face as he beamed at his little family drove Natalie to tears. She turned around, not wanting to see any more.

She found Gabe's hand on her shoulder.

"That's his wife. Their kid. Their house."

"What happened to me?" she asked miserably.

"You kept on with the drugs. It was an ongoing problem. He didn't want to stay and watch you slowly kill yourself. So he broke it off."

She shook her head in disbelief. _No…_she thought.

"But why would he leave me?"

Gabe sighed and shrugged. "He thought it would be best. Maybe you'd figure it out on your own. Didn't happen."

"I gave everything to him…my time, my sanity, my-"

"Let's keep this PG-rated, shall we?"

She shook her head. "No. You don't understand…"

"Of course I understand…"

"No, you don't!"

He looked confused at her outburst. Why wouldn't she listen to him? He was only trying to help her and what does she do? Freak out.

"You'll never know what it feels like to be unwanted. You'll never know how it feels to be unloved…You'll never know how it feels to be alive."

He shook his head at her comment. He just sighed.

"For your information, I do. _Bitch…_"

And then Gabe walked away.

* * *

Natalie was alone…all alone…All she wanted right now was someone to wake her up and tell her that she was dreaming this entire thing. She didn't know what to do. She was alone…and no one could notice her…She was truly invisible.

The only place she could think of going was home. So that's where she went. The familiar house with the red door, the only surviving piece of their old house when it caught on fire.

She quietly walked inside, trying not to disturb anyone in the middle of the night. The living room was quiet and empty. She saw a little light shining in the hallway. She followed it, only to find it was coming from her father's study. There he was, asleep with his head on the desk, a normal habit for him.

She cracked a smile, walking into the room. He looked exhausted. _Probably from me…_ she thought, suppressing a small laugh. She embraced him and quickly left. Running up the stairs, she darted into her parents' bedroom, hoping to find her mother sleeping or doing something Diana-like. But she was gone. Nowhere to be found.

Natalie shook her head, only wondering what could've happened…She was crying now…crying again…The door to her room stood open.

She slowly entered it. Nothing had changed at all. Her room was still messy. Pill bottles hidden across the floor. Her bed still unmade. With tears flowing, she climbed into the bed, wrapping herself in the warm, comforting blanket that lay upon it.

"Oh, God…" She said to herself. "How did this happen."

She closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep, wishing that this was only a dream.

But it wasn't.

**A/N: Aww…Poor Nat…why did I make Henry such a jerk?! Nah, I'm kidding…I love Henry…What will happen next? Oooohhh…Reviews, please?**


	5. Reality Check

**A/N: Awwwww….it's the end! WAAAAHH! Can I just say thanks to everyone who made this a success? DD, that means you for getting me out of writer's block.**

**So…Happy Holidays to ALL and enjoy the comfort, the confusion and the fluff that awaits you in *booming voice* CHAPTER 5!**

**Disclaimer: *to the tune of "Deck the Halls"* I do not own Next to Normal, fa la la la la la la la la. If I did it would be awesome. Fa la la la la la la la la. But sadly, I don't so don't sue me Fa la la la la la la la la. This disclaimer's really stupid, fa la la la la la la la LAAAAAAAAA!**

_The deep dark feeling of fear, of loneliness. The cold breeze flying through her hair. She was falling…Falling into a dark pit of nothing, and endless fall…The sight of solid ground grew nearer. Readying herself for the impact, she immediately hit the ground._

Natalie woke up, breathing heavily, terrified. She lifted her head, hoping that this horrible nightmare would be over.

But she still remained in her catastrophic future.

"Oh, God…"

She walked around the old and dusty room. _Maybe I did screw up…_she thought, pacing back and forth. _Maybe this is my fault…God, where's Gabe when you need him?_

As soon as she said this, she heard a wild commotion from outside. Looking out of the window, she observed the last part of her future.

There was the older Natalie, half-frozen, unconscious on the ground outside. A few passers-by stopped to see if she ok…no response. Someone had called for an ambulance…the wails could be heard coming down the streets. The man reached down for a pulse but stepped back immediately. Nothing. She was dead.

The younger Natalie ran from the window, in tears. The horrifying image of her own death played nonstop in her head. The old bed was looking more and more comfortable each moment. She ran to the bed, practically throwing herself onto it, crying hysterically.

"Well, look who's dead now." A voice rang through her ears.

Her head shot around to the doorway. There was Gabe.

She gave a huge sigh of relief, running to him. She embraced him, crying into his shoulder. She expected him to push her away, giving her a rude retort back, but instead he allowed her to cry, rubbing her back, consoling her.

"I'm s-so sorry…" She managed to get out.

"I know." He decided to embrace her back. "I know…It's ok…"

"I'm such a bitch…"

"No you're not…You just needed a reality check…"

She giggled a little. "Yeah…thanks for that, though."

"No problem…c'mon. Let's get you home."

The familiar force pulled them back…He gave her his infamous smirk and then they returned.

* * *

Natalie woke up gasping. She shot up from the bed, searching for her brother. He was nowhere to be found. She realized that her head was throbbing, as she continued to gasp for air. The empty pill bottle in her hand seemed to explain everything.

She had passed out…The calendar next to her read December 25, 2009. She was back! Too ecstatic to worry about anything else she rushed downstairs. There was her father, walking out of the little study. "Dad!"

She ran to him, embracing him immediately. He was a little confused but accepted his daughter's affection anyway.

"Nat? You…ok?"

"I'm fine…Couldn't be better!"

"You're sure?"

"Yeah! Absolutely!"

A thought ran through her head. She darted away from her father and ran to the kitchen. No one was there.

"Dad?" she called from the kitchen. "Where's mom?"

Once again, he was confused. "Um, she's not here."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"She went out. She'll be back later."

"Good!"

"What's gotten into you, Nat?"

She just smiled. "A lot."

* * *

She was back in her room, trying to recall what happened the night before. A million thoughts swirled around in her own confused head. But then she heard her phone ring. The familiar chorus of "Bad Romance" played. She picked it up, looking at the text.

It was from Henry.

_Hey, come over. Don't open the present yet. I wanna see your face. =D Henry._

Smiling, she grabbed her coat, which still had the little box in the pocket, and ran out to her car.

Within a few minutes, she arrived at his house, quickly scurrying up the driveway to get out of the cold. She rang the doorbell, waiting for him to answer. And when he did…

"Henry!"

She had flung herself onto him, causing the two to topple onto the ground. She landed on top of him, just smiling.

"Um…Nat?"

She kissed him passionately. He played along, still entirely confused. He pulled away from her to breathe for a second.

"Hey, if we're gonna do anything, shouldn't you close the front door first?"

Completely mortified, she jumped up and shut the door, looking down at him.

"I missed you so much…"

He sat up as well, reclining against the wall. "It's only been like a week."

She slid down the wall next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "It seems like a lifetime."

"It's always like that when you're in love."

They kissed again, until she pulled away, her face sporting a look of uncertainty.

"What?" He asked her.

After a few seconds she asked him, "Henry, would you…would you ever leave me?"

He shook his head, a huge grin stretched across his face. "Open my present. There's your answer."

She reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled the little box out. She opened it cautiously and gasped.

"Oh, Henry…."

It was a small diamond ring on a silver band. She gently placed the box down and embraced him again.

"Like it?" He asked, picking the little box up himself.

"It's beautiful…But what's it for?"

"It's a promise ring. I mean, we've been going out for God knows how long…Does that answer your question?"

She smiled and nodded. He carefully grasped her hand and put the ring on it, looking up at her and smiling. Her head fell back upon his shoulder.

"Look…" She said, trying to keep it together after what just happened. "I need to get off the drugs…I _have _to. I can't do it alone."

"Y-You're serious?"

She looked up at him and nodded, completely dead serious.

"What changed your mind?"

She just smirked and said, "Oh, just a certain someone…" She looked up, shaking her head, _Thanks Gabe…_

"I'll help you…You know that…"

She smiled and kissed him again, letting herself fall into his warm embrace.

Little did she know that someone was watching her. That certain someone was Gabe. He smiled, finally glad he got some sense into her. Everything had went well, it all turned out for the best. She was gonna be ok…He smirked as he was walking out the door and whispered,

"Merry Christmas, Nat."

**A/N: AWWWWWWWWWWW! Thanks to everyone who made this possible! (sorry if I sound corny…) HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Anyone wanna give a X-mas present and review?**


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